According to official and local media, Israeli troops have destroyed the shrine of Prophet Shimon the Just in the town of Shamaa in the Tyre district.
Israeli artillery fire targeted the area of the ancient citadel in Tyre, where the shrine was based, the Lebanese National News Agency (LNA) said. The site was added to the list of the UNESCO World Heritage area, and thus received international cultural protection.
The hills near Shamaa were shelled several times early Monday, but no immediate reports were made of casualties, the report said.
Before destroying it in an airstrike, Israeli forces bulldozed the shrine, Lebanese media Al-Akhbar said.
Israel destroyed the mausoleum of Simon Peter, apostle of Christ, in the village of Shama in southern Lebanon.
1,925–1,995 years old. pic.twitter.com/F1qNezLhEk
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The shrine was previously destroyed during the war in 2014, and later restored by local residents, who consider it to be a religious historical place and mosque.
The incident took place as Israel continued air raids on southern Lebanon. The Lebanese Ministry of Health reports that the situation since 2nd March has turned deadly and has claimed 2,055 lives and caused 6,588 injuries.
Israeli military operations continue in southern Lebanon, where Israeli forces have been stationed in some parts of the region for decades, and renewed incursions in the region during the current escalation.
